The Spectacle

I have worn glasses my whole life, and my vision has always been fine. After I started wearing progressives, however, I seemed to suddenly become quite clumsy. I started falling down stairs, and bumping into walls. I even broke my toes a few times. I thought I was just getting older and less agile. Nope, it was my glasses.
No one ever told me that progressives don’t work that well with certain prescriptions. I had been repeatedly asking my eye doctors why my peripheral vision was so bad, and I really never found out why. I was pretty surprised when the guys at The Spectacle explained how much better I would see with HD progressive lenses. They were right. The minute I put my new glasses on I could see perfectly. I stopped bumping into things… amazing. I could see better in dim light; night driving was much easier for me. I felt like I had «Superman like» vision. My new glasses really are a game changer.
The frames they sell at this store are high end, but well made and quite trendy. I really can’t pick out frames that look good on me. I am still getting compliments on the frames that they recommended.
I can quite enthusiastically recommend this eyeglass shop. The customer service is topnotch, and the owners really know their stuff. I will happily drive a little farther to buy new glasses from The Spectacle.

Incredible SERVICE!!!
Can not imagine a better customer experience.

The sole reason I’m reviewing this place is because I have to validate everyone else’s opinions. The Spectacle was my last destination in the unfortunate journey for decent glasses. What I found was more than I imagined.
The men behind The Spectacle are visionaries. In a matter of minutes, they’re able to read your personality and attitude to find glasses that complement you. I was skeptical reading all the rave reviews on Unilocal because I’m a cheap person. However, Gregor navigated through the unique selection of glasses with such expertise that I was getting excited to try the most outlandish models. The pair Gregor picked out for me were colorful enough to keep mixing it up at work. Very, very stylish and unique.
Anyway, once he revealed the prices, I was a bit shocked (spoiler: it’s expensive). They did preface that not many people in the area have those styles, so that must be worth something.
Needless to say, I caved. I bought a pair, nearly went bankrupt, but darn, are these glasses cool? Maybe I’ll spend my summer income in another pair.

Great service and wonderful frames. Gregor definitely has a great eye for what works with your face and individual style. Prices are not cheap, but if you want great service and wonderful frames this is the place to go.

Everyday glasses wearer, who dreads the process of finding a new pair and has only ever «settled» for frames, walks into the Spectacle and meets Gregor. Life changes. True story! In less than ten minutes he had pulled 5 frames, all of which I liked but one of which made my heart say «Wow. Yeah!» I would never have picked them out for myself but once I put them on, there was no going back. I LOVE these glasses.
I opted for the more expensive lenses, which are made through a special process I won’t pretend to remember that conserves water but also supposedly creates incredible clarity of vision. Well I am here to say: Supposed and correct! I could not BELIEVE the difference when I put on these glasses; I could see detail in a way that I had never even imaged. I can read street signs at a distance now which is great… but I can also see the distinct outline of each and every single leaf on a bushy tree, blowing gently in the breeze, and that is AMAZING.
In summation: These guys are awesome at what they do. For practical glasses-​wearing folks, they can get you lenses that will actually let you see like you may have never seen before. For glasses-​wearing folks who want to be beautiful and like what they see when they look in the mirror, they can find you a selection of frames that actually suit you and make you feel good about wearing them. For non glasses-​wearers, they have an awesome selection of sunglasses and great taste and advice to help you find the right ones.
If I could give this place ten stars, I would.

Stumbled into The Spectacle looking for a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses for my wife before leaving back to Canada.
Gregor not only looked in his stock, he contacted other dealers and even the Maui Jim rep in order to help me track down the style nearby. Then, he called me back to yell me what he found.
This man went way out of his way to help someone who he knew would never lead to a sales. Now THAT is incredible service!
I can’t speak to his ability as an optometrist, but I can speak to his substance as a human being. Class act all the way!
Good luvk Gregor and thanks again for your help!

I came to the Spectacle after finding out I needed glasses. I was told this a few years ago, bought a pair, and never wore them because they just weren’t «me». Now, with vision worsening, I bit the bullet. I visited several places in the area with minor to massive selections and nothing really stood out. I found several that I debated over, but just didn’t feel they were right. Then, I found The Spectacle.
I walked in, was immediately greeted by Gregor, and told him of my uncertainty over choosing frames. He then went over, picked up a frame in a couple of different colors, and had me try it on. He explained why the frames fit my facial structure, hair, and elaborated on the personality/​style profile of the frames. As soon as I looked in the mirror — I knew they were perfect. I always felt glasses looked very awkward on me until trying these frames on. They just clicked — and to have him define exactly what I was looking for in a style was pretty incredible («sexy and stylish, yet classic». He had me pegged right off the bat! I debated between the lighter or darker color and he provided very honest and straightforward feedback — just what I needed! A week later, I picked up my glasses and have not regretted my purchase for a moment!
I actually just brought my mom here from out of town to get some frames. The same thing happened upon her entering the shop — Wick greeted us and immediately chose two different frames, both of which she immediately loved. One was more modern (red rectangular metal frames) while the other, more fashionable (rounder tortoise shell). She went with the metal and said she has never enjoyed wearing glasses — never felt they added anything to her appearance, until now!
Excellent customer service (they don’t hover or stand around awkwardly, just help), perfect selection, prices can be high depending on what you choose, but they are designer frames and the styles are very solid — worth every dime in my opinion!

Great selection but what makes this my favorite eyeglass shop is the helpful staff. The man efficiently recommended frames which reflected their knowledge of design, fashion, and my needs.

Wick and Gregor are absolutely the best at finding the PERFECT frame to fit your face! Their selection of frames is hands down better than anywhere else, and the quality is superb! If you need glasses or sunglasses, there is nowhere else to go but The Spectacle!!!

MYKITA Headquarters Triangle! This IS my FAVORITE Optical Shop in the Triangle! I LOVE MYKITA Frames!
When you visit this shop you will experience the kind of Fashion Expertise that you will find in Very, VERY Few Stores of ANY kind, especially in an Optical Shop! If you do not know about Digital Lenses your sight is in for a Treat!
Spectacle does carry other Brands, thought it is very difficult for me to get past MYKITA !

These guys will go above and beyond obligation in order to make the customer happy.
Perhaps they should use that as their tagline… catchy.

I will seriously never ever go anywhere else for glasses as long as I live in Raleigh.
When I go glasses shopping, I usually need to bring a well-​trusted friend with me for their opinion. The sales staff always give me a «yeah, that looks good» or «oh, that one is okay» no matter what pair I put on. But Wick, the owner, helped me shop and did an amazing job. Normally I don’t like it when sales people try to help me pick things out, but I quickly realized he knew what he was talking about and I didn’t feel pressured.
Wick was able to choose frames that looked good on me and explain why. He was selecting pairs that complimented my facial structure – they worked with my cheek bones, pupillary distance, eyebrow arch, etc. I also tried on frames that didn’t look good and he was able to explain why that particular design didn’t fit my face. I tried on many glasses but ended up buying the first two that he suggested! I got a pair of glasses and a pair of sunglasses.
Prior to my visit here, my glasses shopping method was trial-​and-​error. I would bring a friend, go to a store, and try on almost every pair of women’s frames they had until I found something I liked (or at least didn’t hate). Now I appreciate more of an art & design aspect of choosing a pair.
The selection and customer service at Spectacle is nothing short of awesome. If you’re in the market for higher end designer frames and live in the Triangle, this is 100% where you need to go.

I love this place! If you’re looking for stylish glasses or sunglasses this is the place to go.
They have a fantastic selection of really interesting styles and the two owners really know what they’re talking about. On top of that they turn things around really quickly — it took less than a week for a pair of existing sunglasses to be fitted with optical lenses and for a brand new pair of optical glasses to be delivered. I’ll definitely be back!
If you have shopped for glasses at Sunglass Hut or your Eyecare Associates do yourself a favor and check out the Spectacle!

Seriously. If you’re looking for spectacular new optical supplements, this is the place to go. Pricey and geared towards a very high-​end fashion market, but man, the service, styles, and selection are all unbeatable. I can’t think of any other business I’ve visited that has this level of immediate, friendly, personable service. They make you feel like you’re getting a bespoke suit made. The only thing that could have possibly made the experience better is if someone produced a hot cup of Earl Grey for me to sip while perusing.
Within moments of entering the store, Gregor introduced himself and started sizing me up with a few Euro-​style metal frames that were similar but much more intriguing and stylish than my current 11 year-​old pair. I expressed an interest in plastic frames, and he immediately produced a wide variety of tortoiseshell /​copper-​hued frames, all of which I had to fight the urge to buy immediately. He even showed me a set of their top-​of-​the-​line frames designed by a guy who also designs guitars or something – regardless, they were accented with plates of engraved sterling silver, and were just about the best frames I’d ever tried on. However, I was here on a certain budget, and ended up choosing a very respectable frame from a manufacturer known as Blinde in tortoise. I look so hipster now.
I think if and when I start making more money, I’m going to invest in a wide variety of eyeglasses. These guys will be getting my business again in the future. I can see that at ²⁰⁄₂₀.

I am an eyewear junky and have multiple pairs of glasses from these folks. Prior to the opening of he Spectacle, I would shop out of town. The service, fashion and creativity of The Spectacle is unmatched. Wide selection of brands and styles. They focus on finding a look which fits your style within your budget. They’re not going to sell you glasses or sunglasses unless you’re thrilled.
Raleigh is lucky to have a shop like this. A fabulous experience! Much fun.

My husband bought a new pair of glasses from The Spectacle and it was an awesome experience. Wick, the owner, took a very personalized approach and made sure to recommend frames that complimented my husband. He was honest in his assessment of how the frames looked and didn’t try to pressure us into über-​expensive glasses that didn’t look good.
The quality of the frames are great, the customer service is excellent, and the business is locally-​owned (always a plus). Glasses were made QUICKLY and the workmanship is solid.
We highly recommend The Spectacle!